More Locusts Reported

MORE than 100 properties have been inspected throughout the Upper Hunter to assess reports of Australian plague locusts and while none have yet reached the stage of laying eggs, the Local Land Services are encouraging people to contact them with any sightings.

Watch Department of Primary Industry video on locusts below.

Luke Booth, biosecurity with Hunter Local Land Services, said there are pockets of locusts which may reproduce and need to be closely monitored.

An Australian plague locust. Photo: Local Land Services.

“Locusts need to find a good amount of food to put on fat to produce eggs, with the conditions in the Upper Hunter they are not finding that where they hatch out so they are flying so they are most definitely about and there are pockets like in Martindale where they are gaining a bit of condition and could lay,” said Mr Booth.

While the locusts need to find feed to reproduce, they tend to lay eggs in hard dry paddocks, so farmers are urged to be vigilant even if they are in dry conditions.

“They won’t lay in good lush paddocks they’ll find the hardest, driest place they can on your paddock to lay,” he said.

“If they do see them fly in and land on the drier ground it is possible they are there to lay,” he said.

“The winter will take care of them, but there is still time for them to have another life cycle before then,” Luke Booth said.

Please report any sightings to the Local Land Services: 1300 795 299

Related story:

• Locusts Blow Into the Upper Hunter – January 21, 2019.